The best pro pickleball matches of 2024
Last Edited
Dec 24 2024
Category
News
Each year the level of play in pro pickleball seems to make a significant jump. That proved to be the case again in 2024, as we saw exciting matches nearly every week on the PPA Tour and in Major League Pickleball.
The men’s divisions were defined by unprecedented parity as the Johns brothers were challenged like never before and new faces emerged to vie for the top spot in both doubles and singles.
On the women’s side, Anna Leigh Waters continued her multi-year run of dominance, but the gap closed significantly in women’s doubles in the last half of the year.
These dynamics made for some amazing matches, and with the year coming to a close next week we decided to look back at a handful of the best matches we saw in 2024.
Waters/Parenteau vs. Bright/Rohrabacher at the Rate Championships in Las Vegas
As we mentioned above, women’s doubles became one of the more competitive events in the closing stretch of the season. Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher inched closer to the top spot, with multiple wins in the past few months over the previously dominant pair of Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau.
In this Championship Sunday match from October, Bright and Rohrabacher pushed it to a fifth game and even took a 7-2 lead at one point in the deciding game. But Waters and Parenteau clawed back with incredible defense and took Game 5 12-10.
Dallas Flash vs. New Jersey 5s – Premier Final, Match 3 in Orlando
In one of the most electrifying weekends in pickleball history, the Dallas Flash etched their name into Major League Pickleball lore, claiming the 2024 Premier Level Championship with a win over the top-seeded New Jersey 5s in a dramatic best-of-three series at the Vulcan MLP Playoffs.
Match 3 was a rollercoaster and the championship moment came with Tyra Black and Augie Ge defeating Anna Leigh Waters and Will Howells in mixed doubles. Ge’s dominance in the middle and Black’s defensive grit carried Dallas to a 25-21 victory and the Pritchard Cup.
Jaume Martinez Vich vs. Federico Staksrud at the Veolia Desert Ridge Open
Staksrud established himself as the best men’s singles player in the world in 2024, with eight titles, nine silvers and three bronze medals on the season.
This match against Martinez Vich in Phoenix showcased next-level athleticism from both players and gave us arguably the best point of the year in any division. After dropping the first game 7-11, Fed battled back and took the next two games 11-2, 11-8 to take gold.
Johns/Johns vs. McGuffin/Martinez Vich at the Veolia LA Open
While Ben and Collin Johns were not nearly as dominant in 2024 as they had been in prior years, they still captured seven gold medals on the season – two more than any other team or player.
This Championship Sunday match against Tyson McGuffin and Jaume Martinez Vich was a classic Johns bros grind fest that lasted nearly 2 hours. It’s the kind of match only a true pickleball junkie could appreciate.
After winning Game 4 11-8 to push the match to a deciding Game 5, McGuffin and Martinez Vich fell behind early then battled back to get within two points at 6-8. They stalled there, though, and the Johns bros prevailed 11-6 to take gold.
Waters/Johns vs. Johnson/Johnson at the Selkirk Kansas City Open
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns went 83-1 on the season – and rarely were they seriously pushed in those 83 wins.
They were in this Championship Sunday match against JW and Jorja Johnson, though, with the back-and-forth match going to a deciding Game 5.
There also was some extra drama in this one, with Anna Leigh Waters at one point screaming “Ball don’t lie” at Jorja Johnson after she thought Jorja committed a fault that wasn’t called by the ref. Johns and Waters ultimately pulled away in Game 5 to take the title.
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